Changes in the wind revive jobs and hope
A REINVIGORATED mining sector and the pending construction of a major wind farm is providing a jobs bonanza on the West Coast and civic leaders hope it will see the region’s permanent population rebuild.
A tailings project near Waratah and the restart of a nickel project at Zeehan will create 250 new jobs.
A wind farm which is under construction at Granville Harbour will also need 200-odd workers during the building phase and a new iron ore mine is earmarked for a site outside Hampshire.
Last week, the owner of the Avebury nickel mine, Dundas Mining, which bought the mine from MMG a year ago for $25 million, announced it would restart the mothballed operation in January.
Last month, the Rogetta iron ore mine, near Hampshire, was granted federal ap- provals for a $100 million operation. It is forecast to be under construction within 12 months and in production about 2020, and will create 200 jobs during construction and up to 100 permanent positions when operational.
Resources Minister Guy Barnett is also upbeat about Copper Mines of Tasmania’s plans to reopen the mothballed Mt Lyell copper operation.
“We are working with CMT and I am hopeful there is a strong prospect of reopening Mt Lyell,” Mr Barnett said.
The mine employed more than 300 when it was put on
It would be difficult to find more affordable housing anywhere else in Tasmania and possibly Australia
Economist SAUL ESLAKE
care and maintenance in 2014 after the death of three miners.
Economist Saul Eslake said he hoped many of those who take up the new jobs would want to live on the West Coast.
“It would be difficult to find more affordable housing anywhere else in Tasmania and possibly Australia.”
Houses in Zeehan can be snapped up for abut $60,000.
“Even if people do not move in to take up the new jobs, their arrival will be good for other businesses on the West Coast like pubs, restaurants and supermarkets.”
The area has been steadily losing population for 25 years and is now home to just 4000 residents. But there is hope better economic times will see that number rebound to the 10,500 who lived there in the 1990s.
“In 1993 our focus was hard on mining, with Strahan a tourism destination in the making,” Mayor Phil Vickers said.
“In 2015 the council embarked on our community en- gagement journey which now is our 2025 community plan and the West Coast tourism brand was reinvented.
“It’s an exciting time for us. About 55 per cent of our resident population has lived here for five or six years or less. New people are moving in, there is change in the demographics with new views.
“I hope the pending boom in new jobs and an influx in contractors will be good for our business community in the first instance.
“I would also hope we will enjoy some residential growth. The West Coast is a great place to bring up a family, we do actually have good services and good schools.”